WESTLOCK – Work on the underground components of the two-year, $7.3-million 108th Street reconstruction project will cease for the year mid next week.
Town of Westlock CAO Simone Wiley confirmed Aug. 30 that following a meeting the previous week with the contractor, Knelsen Sand & Gravel, Sept. 15 has been chosen as the tentative date when underground work will end “in order to complete the above ground roadway so there’ll be no gravel portions over the winter.” The project, which started April 6, includes a fresh asphalt overlay, new curbs, gutters and sidewalks, as well as a new storm sewer line, sanitary sewer line and sanitary water line.
“It’s to wherever they are. We kind of established that there has to be a cut-off date and it doesn’t really matter where they finish with the underground work as long as there’s time after Sept. 15 for the above ground to catch up,” said Wiley. “No one wants to maintain a gravel surface in the springtime. We could say do as much as you can and then be sad when the snow flies early. This just makes sense and is just good planning. The contractor has been great to work with and we’ll just carry it over into the next year.”
Although the contractor said in the spring that they had hoped to have the project completed in 2021, there’s been numerous delays for a variety of reasons. At the town’s Aug. 16 meeting, operations director Robin Benoit said that supply-chain issues, ranging from a shortage of copper piping to concrete powder, were just the latest in a string of setbacks. For council, the possibility of the project running into 2022 was a disappointment, but not a shock as they were prepared to see it go over two years.
“When we first talked about this it was originally intended to run over two years and the contractor thought they would get it in a year if everything went well. But I don’t think it should be a surprise to anyone that the supply chain is the biggest issue post-COVID,” said mayor Ralph Leriger at that meeting.
The project was also slowed due to the discovery of hydrocarbon containment from an old adjacent Imperial Oil fuel site, plus issues surrounding “as built” drawings that didn’t correspond with what’s actually underground. To deal with the “heavy concentrations of hydrocarbons” tons of contaminated soil had to be trucked away, while a plastic liner was installed underground to contain any possible further seepage — an initial estimate for the clean-up work, which Imperial is paying for, was pegged at $1.6 million. Work on that side project started at the end of May and wrapped before July 1.
Bulk water station will re-open in the fall
Meanwhile, the temporary bulk water station at the town’s public works shop (9632-110A Street), which opened Aug. 19, will continue to operate until the permanent facility on the east side of 108th Street reopens in November.
“I’ve confirmed that as soon as the roadway work is completed for the year the bulk water station on 108th will be back in service,” said Wiley.
The closure, which was originally only supposed to be for a day or two, was blamed on “as-built” drawings not corresponding to what’s actually underground on the stretch. The temporary fill station at the public works shop only has an electronic pay feature so no coins are accepted and folks needing bulk water can also use the facilities in the hamlets of Vimy and Dapp.
Benoit told council in August that they’re doing their best with the temporary fill station and users should know it’ll probably take longer to fill their tanks.
“B Trains will take a lot longer to fill. We have a three-inch line at the bulk water station currently but we’ll be going to a two-inch at the public works shop. They’ll still be able to pull in. It’ll take a bit more time,” he said.
